Councillors allege they committed misconduct in public office by knowingly giving false and misleading evidence relating to death rates to the council's statutory overview and scrutiny committee.

At a meeting of the full council on Tuesday night, councillors instructed Stafford Borough Council chief executive Ian Thompson to make a formal complaint to the CPS over the allegations.

A spokesman for the council said on Wednesday: "At a meeting of the full council last night it was agreed to instruct the council's chief executive to make a formal complaint to the Crown Prosecution Service in that Mr Martin Yeates - the former chief executive of the hospital trust - and Mrs Toni Brisby - former chair of the Trust - committed the offence of misconduct in public office by knowingly giving false and misleading evidence to the council's statutory overview and scrutiny committee."

A spokeswoman from Mid Staffordshire NHS Foundation Trust said it would not be commenting on the issue.

Former Stafford Hospital chair Toni Brisby.

The CPS said the correct procedure would be to make an initial complaint to the police.

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "We have not received a complaint from Stafford Borough Council but are aware of the motion.

"With all complaints, we review any information given to us to see if a police investigation is the appropriate way forward."

The move comes after thousands of supporters flooded Stafford town centre last weekend in a demonstration aimed at keeping major services at Stafford Hospital.

A public inquiry into the hospital, which was placed into administration last week, found it had provided "appalling" standards of care and caused unnecessary suffering to hundreds of patients over a five-year period up to 2009.

Health regulator Monitor has given two special administrators 45 working days to produce a plan for the sustainable "reorganisation" of future services, including maternity care.

The decision to place the Trust, which also runs Cannock Hospital, into administration was taken after a review team concluded that its services were clinically and financially unsustainable.

The review also concluded that the Trust was unlikely to be able to repay its debts.